Traveling Geocaching Exhibit

I've just learned that Minotaur Mazes is working with Groundspeak to create a museum exhibit that highlights geocaching and the Arkansas ParkCache program. It is launching with a cache event at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources on May 16, and will travel to other AR museums over the next 3-1/2 years. I have no other details at this time and the event has not been published as yet, but it sounds like it's going to be great. If you can't make it to the May 16th event in Smackover, be watching for it to come to a museum near you

Sounds great, the ladies at the museum had told us that they were going to have something like that but didn't know when,, sounds like a great time... Thanks for the heads up on this

Sounds like a great event. Hopefully we can be off work and attend.

I was contacted by Groundspeak asking for permission to use a few the photos in my profile gallery in the exhibit. Of course i said yes. Not sure how many they will use, but i signed and sent them a release.

According to the State Parks Web site,, the exhibit will be at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources from June 15th to August 24th..

No mention of an event during that time.

I was wondering about this; I knew the deadline to get an event posted was drawing very close for May 16. Maybe they've moved it out a month....I've never been to this museum and this looks like a great reason to go!

I'm crossing my fingers that this will be one of those official "Geo Mazes" that has a custom icon. If it does, it will bring many geocachers to the state just to go through it. Then some of them will stick around to do the State Parks Challenge. That would be great geo-tourism for the state.

I've been to a lot of museums through the years - with field trips, with family growing up, with Mark and Jim, with only Jim, etc. That museum is absolutely one of my favorites! The elevator ride is awesome, just so many good things to see and do there.

I agree with you about the elevator ride. For some reason 2ter (she's 6) totally freaked out on the elevator ride when we went cachin' there a while back. Talk about the longest 1 story elevator ride you've ever took when your child is "freakin' out"! I've never heard of the special maze icon before... sounds cool.

The GPS Maze icon looks like this:

http://www.geocaching.com/images/mazelogo_cachetype.jpg

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Originally Posted by BSA534

The GPS Maze icon looks like this:

http://www.geocaching.com/images/mazelogo_cachetype.jpg

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Thanks! That is cool.

This is really great; it looks to be the biggest thing for geocaching I've seen in Arkansas, with a great opportunity to expose muggles to our ways. The vast majority of growth has to come thru word of mouth, but now there's something out there for people to actually see and experience!

The GeoMaze event is up in case you haven't seen it:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...2-8cd3545c0a0d

The GeoMaze is up too:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...6-cc0898f7e0cf

Are there two separate events? One that day event and one for the maze? I found the two different listings, just wasn't sure about them. Sounds fun though.

I had initially planned to attend the event at Mt Magazine that day but I believe I may just drive down for this one instead. I wouldn't want to miss this one. Besides there are like 800 caches down there that I haven't found.

There is an event on May 16. You get an event smiley for that one.

The GeoMaze exhibit opens on May 16 and will be there until the end of December. You'll get the special icon for attending the exhibit at any time while its there. (or at any of the other Discovery museums it will be at in the next 3 years).

At least thats my understanding....

This will be pretty cool. I look forward to meeting many of you there. (I feel I know many of you from tracking you through the ParkCache Challenge and I know I've talked to a few that have finished it.) See you there!

Won't make the event. I do want to do the park challenge, but doing it from a base of Fort Smith is going to be a bit more challenging than those of you who live more centrally located.

Hi Ashallond, Don't let your geographical position keep you from doing the Arkansas ParkCache Challenge. I live in Helena and that's as far from most of the ParkCaches as you are in Fort Smith. Mz Grzz and I completed the series last summer while on vacation and had a ball! :D Just go get the ones near you then you'll be hooked :wink: Can't wait for the 16th so I can see the GeoMaze :)

Yes please don't let your location keep you from this series. I live only 4 miles from Louisiana and it took several overnight trips, but it was well, well worth it. It will give you a chance to knock the DeLorme and County Challenge out as well while your at it.

yeah, that overnight thing....wife with a < 2 year old child probably won't let me wander across the state for a few days, and she doesn't cache....yet.

So how is the water level around Smackover? I saw the flooding around Camden and I want to make sure we can get to the event this weekend! ;-) Looking forward to seeing the new exhibit and to finding some caches in the area. Should get us geared up for GeoWoodstock!

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Originally Posted by BSA534

So how is the water level around Smackover? I saw the flooding around Camden and I want to make sure we can get to the event this weekend! ;-) Looking forward to seeing the new exhibit and to finding some caches in the area. Should get us geared up for GeoWoodstock!

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I checked my caches at the river in Calion yesterday. One is probably about 10-15 feet underwater and I disabled it. I know for a fact other caches around the river are underwater as well, although their owner's have not disabled them yet. A photo in our local paper today showed the visitors center at Moro Bay State Park totally surrounded with water. http://www.eldoradonews.com/ In the upper right part of the page scroll through photo headlines until the Moro Bay Park pictures. The other caches away from the river may be soggy, but no other roads in Union County away from the river are currently closed. Hope that helps.

I went cachin' in Camden today and checked on State HWY 7 and of course it is under water and will be for a while. If you were planning on taking this route (Sparkman to Camden) you will instead need to use State HWY 9 (Sparkman- Holly Springs- Camden) instead.

Everything I read about this exhibit says 'seven museums in 2.5 years'....but no where does it list the other 6 museums. Anyone know them?

Here is something that I recieved from the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock last week that tells a lot about the exhibit and where it is going.


‘GPS Adventures Arkansas’ Comes to Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources May 16-December 30, 2009

Geocaching and navigation exhibit to open along with the opportunity for geocachers to log a find



Smackover, Ark. (March 10, 2009) – An exhibit opening for “GPS Adventures Arkansas” will be held at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources on May 16 from 11:00am to 1:30pm. “GPS Adventures Arkansas” is an educational traveling exhibition introducing GPS technology - its history and current uses. Door prizes, activities for children, networking and the opportunity for cachers to log the exhibit as a cache will be available.



“GPS Adventures Arkansas” maze is an educational traveling exhibition introducing GPS technology - its history, current uses and future possibilities. Visitors will learn the basics of traditional and modern navigation, see examples of GPS technology in use today, preview coming developments, and try their hand at designing future applications. They will simulate the sport of geocaching as they search for hidden caches and gain access to content rich educational galleries. Geared toward ages six through adult, the exhibit will travel to seven museums throughout Arkansas. Thousands of children and adults will hold GPS-enabled gear for the first time, opening doors to the life changing possibilities GPS technology makes possible both today and tomorrow.



Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache’s existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS unit can then try to locate the geocache.



“GPS Adventures Arkansas” exhibit is sponsored by the Arkansas Discovery Network, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, which brings high-quality, national exhibits and events to the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources and six other partner museums across the state. “GPS Adventures Arkansas” is developed by Groundspeak and Minotaur Mazes with development support from the National Executive Committee of Space-Based Positioning Navigation & Timing and technological contributions from Magellan and Spatial Solutions.



“GPS Adventures Arkansas” is sure to be popular with visitors of all ages,” said Pam Beasley, Museum Superintendent. “GPS Adventures Arkansas” is a fun, interactive way to learn about GPS technology as well as promoting a sport that the entire family can be involved in out doors.” Arkansas State Parks are an excellent place for the family to spend the day and geocache.



About Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources

The mission of the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources is to collect, preserve and interpret Arkansas’s natural resources with particular emphasis on petroleum and brine used for bromine extraction. Exhibits throughout the museum demonstrate the discovery and uses of petroleum and brine. Temporary exhibits which change every six months focus on the other natural resources of the state. The museum is one of 52 Arkansas State Parks. Museum hours are from 8-5 Monday –Saturday and from 1-5 on Sundays. Admission is free.



About Arkansas Discovery Network

The Arkansas Discovery Network, an innovative network of seven museums and educational centers in Arkansas, was funded in 2006 by The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation with a grant of more than $7 million. The network focuses on making hands-on, interactive museum experiences more accessible to the state's 498,000 schoolchildren and their families. Partner museums include the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Mid America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Texarkana Museums System in Texarkana, Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover, Arkansas State University Museum in Jonesboro and the University of Arkansas Center for Mathematics and Science Education. Visit www.arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org for more information.


Sayitagain

Wonder if they will do a kickoff event at each stop!?!? That would be cool!

Did you notice that Arkansas made the Groundspeak Weekly Notification this week?

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II. GPS Adventures Arkansas - A New Maze Exhibit Opening May 16
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The GPS Adventures Arkansas Maze Exhibit is a smaller, regional version of the nationally touring GPS Adventures Maze Exhibit and prominently features Arkansas State Parks. The educational exhibit will travel to 7 Arkansas museums over the next three-and-a-half years. Attendees will learn about GPS through interactive science experiences in a 1,500 square foot indoor maze and an outdoor GPS training course.

Join us for the launch of the exhibit on Saturday, May 16th at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources!
http://coord.info/GC1QPFB

Wayne

I did...and Hot Springs and Fayetteville are easily within driving distance for me. If I don't get down that far this summer, then I can definitely get it there.

There's going to be one in Fayetteville ? Sweet! I live right down the street. rofl I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

WOW! What a great exhibit! The park director told us that the maze will stay in Smackover until March 2010 before moving to the next museum.

A visit to Smackover is really worth the drive no matter what part of the state you are in!

First, even without the maze, the museum is one of the nicest I've been in. Such a great combination of technology and history.

Second, the incredible amount of caches in the area! You don't even have to work hard to have a big caching day in the Smackover area.

Third, an Earth Cache. If you've never done an Earth Cache, there is a very well done one here!

Fourth, Parkcache. You want to find them all anyway, and this is a State Park so grab it while your here (and there are others nearby)

and finally, THE MAZE! The maze is just awesome! You'll find large phot walls featuring some of your favorite Arkansas cachers along with interactive displays showing how GPSrs work and info about geocaching, videos and more.

I would really recommend taking a Saturday or a weekend this summer and visiting Smackover. You'll be glad you did!

Thanks for the report, Tim! I really hated to miss this event, but an appointment Saturday morning kept me from leaving until much too late to make the event. However, I look forward to making a trip to L.A. sometime to see the exhibit and pick up some of those many, many caches that have been hidden in that area in the last year.

ORR

Since this exhibit is closing on the 30th, and will reappear in Pine Bluff in March, will a new cache be placed for the PB exhibit (with maze icon?) or what?

Or should we email Groundspeak about this, since Arkansas is the first state to have this type of GPS maze that is an in-state exhibit.

Ashallond, I am not 100% sure how this is going to be handled, so I have emailed Pam Beasley, Superintendent Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover. If she does not know the answer, I'm sure she will find out and let me know. I will pass this along as soon as I hear something.

For those who have not visited this exhibit, you are in for a treat. I have made a couple of return trips since the dedication and have enjoyed it each time. I plan to visit it again each time that it moves.

I have just received an email from Pam and her answer follows.

The exhibit is not leaving the our place until March. We extended the dates. I don't think there will be a different icon, but it will should count as a different cache as it is a different site.

I'm looking forward to visiting this great exhibit in different locations all across the state. If you haven't seen it, it is well worth your time.

good news! i've not yet had time to grab this cache

Hmm, now how to find a day to drive down there from Fort Smith that the wife will let me go....